Watercolor Basics ~ How Much Water To Use :)
Тәжірибелік нұсқаулар және стиль
Today we're covering one of the very first stumbling blocks we as watercolor artists face; how much water to actually use. It might sound easy but getting a perfect mix ratio every time requires a combo of knowledge and practice. Join me as I take you through this basic building block of the medium.
Got questions? Leave them in the comment section below, I'm happy to help!
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I'm trying to learn watercolor and I find it very challenging. This is the best explanation I've seen about water management! Thank you!
I love how you go at a speed that keeps my attention focused at all times...really helps! Your paintings and teachings are just right for me to learn from. Thank you.
I actually love the blooms. I love the wild nature of watercolor!
Your tutorials are absolutely the best. You're a good teacher. You have a good understanding of what the new water color artist really needs to know. Thank you.
I love the different effects you can get with how much water you use. It makes it so there are many possibilities.
I am teaching myself watercolour via KZread and this was so crazy handy, thanks so much! This was the best tutorial video I've seen :) new sub for sure!!!!
Thanks so much for helping me with the basics! You're such a sweet woman and a great teacher. I'm looking forward to learning as much as I can from your tutorials. You are a generous spirit and lovely artist. Thanks again.
Thankyou for this video. I've just started painting and find I have no idea about water. Now I do. Keep making videos for real beginners please! I know we all appreciate the time and direction you give us.
I really liked this video! I also never knew how to paint the waterfall effect, and now I know that dry-brushing can be used!
Kid stuff is the thing ya NEED to learn, I totally agree!! Love your tutorial! I just happened to find ya and I think I've happened upon a great artist/teacher!! Looking forward to learning more! Hugz, Tree
Thank you for this lesson. I was making all the mistakes that you've shown here, and my paintings never came out well. I love water colours, but was discouraged, as I was not getting the right effects. Thanks a lot, I've realised the mistakes I've been making in water colour painting, and now got an idea about how to correct them.
W/C blooms have always been a struggle for me--thanks so much for the explanation and remedy! Great video!
SO USEFUL! I realised I have been using too much water, hence the blooming in my works. Thank you for this video :))
I've just found you on KZread & I'm loving the way you seem able to explain things so that I hear myself saying in my head "Ahhhhh yeah, that's how it's done.....it all makes perfect sense now!!" Thanks for some really great beginners tutorials, they have helped me immensely as a complete novice, I will be watching ALL of you videos probably several times over in the near future 👍👌👍👌👍 xXx 🌼
Extremely helpful! You answered a lot of questions and I can’t wait to practice now.
Thanks for going right back to the basics for me. Since I'm completely self-taught it's funny where the gaps are in my watercolour knowledge. For some reason I can't see the other comments so I may be repeating a request that someone else has already mentioned but ...could you also do a tutorial on how much colour to pick up on the brush? I seem to get the water about right but end up with all one saturation level of the pigment once I put brush to paper. may be what you mean by 'transparency' although I suspect that refers to layering, so I'll find that second video you mentioned as well. TFS!
@kristal2255
6 жыл бұрын
Wow, am I happy to learn here! I've been practicing with all good quality materials for nearly a month and have been getting discouraged. This video nails my bad habits; I'm now thinking there's still hope🤗
thanks for encouraging us that we will get better, sometimes we forget! Seriously it seems overwhelming and yet easy, as with all i guess just practise, practise, practise
Thank you. This was helpful as I'm really stuck on wet on wet. As you demoed sometimes it's too wet or too dry but hopefully, I can find a balance now.
I'm new to water colors so this is very helpful for me. Thank you
Thank you! This video was extremely helpful.
Thank you for these awesome videos. I probably watched dozen of it in one sitting ^_^ I took class for beginners before but gave up on it. But now I really feel like trying watercolor back again. starting tomorrow
I am a complete beginner and found your video most helpful in how to mix the paints
Thank you, this helps!
Thank you so much. I am new to WC, so this was very informative for me....easy to understand.....will be sure to follow your videos😀
Your videos are brilliant. Thank you.
This is a great video for beginners like me. Thank you!
This is so helpful. I had been self teaching my self how to draw by looking ay different art and youtube. I wanted to try watercolor and this will really help me when I start in 2 days when I get my book
I'm self learning so your tips are really valuable. Thank you for your sharing :D
Excellent basics ! Thank you
Love your instructions!
I'm a beginner in water coloring....and this was very helpful. Thanks.
Thanks! I’m very new to this. I learned that I’m using the wrong brushes, using acrylic ones I had from a class. I have some on order so will have the right ones soon.
Hi, thanks so much for this very helpful video. Your radishes painting is amazing! I would love a video of how you painted this. Thanks!
Thank you, I learned quite a bit. I’m a new subscriber now !
This was so informative. Thanks so much
This was great! As a beginner this video has lots of tips besides water amount. Thank you!
This video is extremely helpful! Thanks a lot :-)
This is so helpful! Thank you!!
your videos are veryyy helpful...Thanx a million😍
Very helpful! Thank you!
Great info. Very helpful. Ty
Thank u so much. This was so helpful. Good day! :)
Thanks, it was nice to learn from. picked up some great tips:)
very helpful. Thanks!
Great explanation!
Really helpful to me, an absolute beginner.
Hi I started painting with watercolors about 2 months ago, and I was suprised how well it comes out (I think it may have something to do with your videos :D) But now I don't paint very often because I don't have any ideas or inspirations on what I can paint. Maybe you can make a video on how to make original paintings and how to inspire yourself? I would be very grateful :) Also, these raddishes are so adorable!
Great tips as I am a beginner thanks
Lol I just bought an old Crayola watercolor set...the pigmentation is great but I definitely need to learn a lot!
Thank you!
Many thanks for great video
Very helpful tutorial for beginners like me. Thank you. Also make other watercolour beginners exercise videos and painting idea videos which can help.
Thans for your infomative video, i had to subscribe.i have to find out beginning techniques more.
Thanks great information
Thank you
Thanks so much. Exactly what I was looking for in trying to control the water.
How I know I'll be coming back to learn from your videos: As I was watching and following along with my own supplies, I squeegeed RIGHT as you began explaining about that pitfall. Phew! So glad for that humbling moment in my watercolor education! Thank you for taking the time to teach! ^_^
Loved the video, thank you! Can you tell me where you bought the squirrel hair brush? I recently started painting watercolor and am taking some classes but in the the brushes I got are all synthetic so I bought a couple from Windsor and Newton and just bought a #10 from DaVinci (I have not used it yet) but I like how much water yours held in the video! I feel like mine are all always "thirsty". Have a wonderful day! 😉
@TheWittyGrittyPaperCo
7 жыл бұрын
Hi there! I'm so very sorry for the delay in my response! Sometimes comments get lost in the shuffle and I didn't see yours until just now! The squirrel hair brush I used in the video was actually a synthetic squirrel hair brush, and is made by Princeton Neptune. It's my favorite line of watercolor brushes. I get most of mine from my local fine art store, but here is a link to where you can find the full range online: www.dickblick.com/products/princeton-neptune-synthetic-squirrel-brushes/ Hope this helps and thank you so much for watching! Have a lovely day! :) Best, Meredith
Thanks very much. I'm just starting and am working on improving my washes. I notice that some people wet the area with clear water first, then use a wet brush to apply the colour. Do you have any comment on this? I also saw someone do 3 layers of wash to make the colour darker. Wouldn't that 'overwork' the wash? Also, should it dry between the layers?
Meredith, where did you buy your bracelets that I saw in another beginners tutorial? There were 4-5 on your right wrist and they were peach in color. I forgot which video it was and forgot to ask. Eek. Sorry. Hope you'll remember since I can't. LOVED them! Thank you! Fanna Turano Denver, CO
This might be a silly question but do you use bottled water or tap water? I've wondered if chlorination can interfere with the archival quality of the paint. I could be overthinking it.
backruns: could it be avoided by tilting ?
You mention NOT to wipe the brush on the side of the well in the palette. What is the correct technique to 'squeegee' colour from the brush? Love your videos. Also your offer of Skillshare for 99c for a month for 3 months, is this still available and is it available to non-US subscribers? I am in Australia.
@TheWittyGrittyPaperCo
7 жыл бұрын
Hi there! Sorry for the delay in my response! Personally I like to let my brush drip a second over my rinse water and then just squeegee that one baby drip on the side of the palette. So, as long as you're not squeegeeing off all of your brush's moisture, you should be good to go. :) And as for Skillshare, the offer is totally still available, here is a direct link: skl.sh/witty-gritty And I'm pretty sure it's valid for non-U.S subscribers; the currency difference may change the amount you have to pay slightly but other than that you should be fine. :) Hope this helps and thank you so much for watching! Have a lovely day! :) Best, Meredith
One question, why do artist take a brush with paint ant put it back into the water? wouldn't that wash (waste) off some of the paint? I have some syringes to use to add water to my mixing area. Sometimes I use a spray bottle.
@TheWittyGrittyPaperCo
7 жыл бұрын
Hi there! Sorry for the delay in my response! Yes, dunking your brush back into your water with paint still on it definitely wastes some of the pigment, but because watercolor brushes are engineered to hold onto moisture for dear life, it would be virtually impossible to get all of the paint out of your brush to save before cleaning it. Simply put, to wash your brush of paint, you will inevitable waste tiny amounts of it in your rinse water. This is just sort of something you have to get used to as you get more comfortable with the medium. You can absolutely add water to your mixing area in ways other than with your brush (like the syringes & spray bottle you mentioned) but once you dip your brush into the mixed color to paint with, the brush will be loaded with pigment and you'll still have to dip it in your water to clean it off. :) Hope this helps a bit, and thank you so much for watching! Best, Meredith
@heartchitect1960
7 жыл бұрын
Yes, I also asked Mind of Watercolor, and he stated about the same. He said the more I paint, the more I'll learn how to deal with the medium. Thanks for responding. :-)
thank-you for detailed information but how would i get rid of paper bending using excess water?
@bananamanbabaysugar9783
7 жыл бұрын
Akash Banerjee what do you mean by paper bending? is it when paper curl up? if so, it may be due to too much water, just let it dry. Taping it to something hard before painting is ideal too. there's also something called paper stretching, soaking the paper then taping it (i think? just search lol) And the paper itself is a factor 90 lbs is not recommended for a full blown painting, atleast 140 lbs is recommended
@neail5466
7 жыл бұрын
bananaman babay sugar then i will try changing my paper for better results, thank you.
GOD THAT WAS MY PROBLEM HOW MUCH WATER TO USE HELP LOL :)
which watercolor paper more suitable? I am confused. I want a watercolor sketch pad but there are lots of brands to choose from.
@TheWittyGrittyPaperCo
7 жыл бұрын
Hi there! So sorry for the delay in my response! I would recommend using watercolor paper that is 140lb and has a cold-press finish; most watercolor sketchbooks have this inside. As far as actual brands go, my personal favorites for student grade are Canson & Strathmore. For artist grade, I love Arches & Fabriano. Hope this helps and thank you so much for watching! Have a lovely day! Best, Meredith
what grade is crayola?
My dumb self just realize di have been doing it wrong. I put the paint in a pan, mix water into the paint and keep adding it because the water to paint ratio doesnt look correct. When in reality you should get the brush wet, grab some paint and use it on a seperate surface.... I feel slow 💀💀
For beginers which is better pans or tubes?
@Jovilynch
7 жыл бұрын
Sandrine Gadoury your preference but tubes have more paint, so if you need to use a lot of paint, then use tubes.
Are there any alternatives to watercolor pads? ;-;
@tont44
6 жыл бұрын
Hi Mary! I think it's okay if I answer your question, but I'm not a teacher. I began painting watercolor & used student grade paper, block/pads (Made by Cannon, always a blue cover) exclusively back then. Then, Arches & Strathmore wc pads/blocks. They worked great, but...then I took an online class with Birgit O'Connor, & she touts using 22" x 30" watercolor sheets. They come in 140# (about $6 a sheet, but you tear down to smaller sizes), & 300# (for the wettest paintings you're painting--$16 a sheet). The good new is that you can use both sides to paint on, so there's no waste. I must admit that the sheets give me the very best performance rather than blocks, & the reason is the sheets hold the water/wetness on your paper much longer than blocks/pads. I also love using blocks & pads for other projects, as I know how it's going to perform and I need that technique. 300# & 140# blocks/pads are no more economical than tearing down the sheets. (you "fold" the sheet over several times into a crease, then gently "chop" the seam until you can carefully tear it yourself). Blocks & pads suck up the water you apply lickity-split, so it's hard to gauge. But I've painted some of my finest paintings on blocks & pads. Hope this helps. Good luck! Fanna Turano Denver, CO
God damn! This only tutorial can not only replace the whole painting lessons in school, but exceed them. Why the heck this considered too hard to pour on childs in school compared to the math and phisycs they do?! May be I was just unlucky to not have teachers I wish to have... I'm just doing first steps to discover what was one hand away, but feeling like there were secrets, like, you know, sorta forbidden to know for kids... Always was dissapointed with undercontrol of what happens between me, colors, brush and paper that such an advice could turn my life in the other direction. I'm really happy and grateful that at least now I've an opportunity to take a kind advice and step in this magic world with more understading. Thanks a lot!
Lol happy medium.. No punns ey
Thank you